A washing nozzle for private part washing is configured to squirt wash water onto private parts in a state in which at least a portion of the washing nozzle is exposed (advanced) outside a casing to which prescribed functional parts such as the washing nozzle, a warm water tank, etc., are mounted. Therefore, there is a risk that liquid waste and/or solid waste may adhere to the washing nozzle. Conversely, there exist sanitary washing apparatuses to rinse away and remove the liquid waste and/or the solid waste adhered to the washing nozzle prior to and after performing the private part washing. Thereby, the washing nozzle is kept clean.
However, even in the case where the liquid waste and/or the solid waste adhered to the washing nozzle are rinsed away, there are cases where bacteria propagates on the washing nozzle as time elapses in humid environments such as that of the toilet room. More specifically, there is a risk that, for example, bacteria such as methylobacterium called pink slime and the like and black mold, etc., that occur on the bowl face and the like of the toilet may adhere to the washing nozzle; and the bacteria may propagate on the washing nozzle. Then, for example, in the case where bacteria called biofilms and the like and collections of secretions of the bacteria (slime and black dirt) form due to the propagation of the bacteria, it becomes difficult to remove such biofilms in a normal nozzle wash such as that described above.
Conversely, a sanitary washing apparatus has been proposed in which an electrolytic cell is connected to a flow channel that supplies wash water; and the washing nozzle is sterilized such that biofilms do not form by regularly supplying water including hypochlorous acid produced by the electrolytic cell (Patent Citation 1). On the other hand, an electrolysis apparatus and an electrolysis method that produce water including hypochlorous acid have been proposed (Patent Citation 2).
However, there is room for improvement to efficiently sterilize the washing nozzle. For example, although hypochlorous acid is produced by electrolyzing the chlorine ions inside service water, the concentration of the chlorine ions inside service water differs by region. Therefore, there are cases where the concentration of the hypochlorous acid for sterilizing the washing nozzle cannot be ensured when ensuring the flow rate to remove the liquid waste and/or the solid waste adhered to the washing nozzle. In other words, although the concentration of the hypochlorous acid can be increased by reducing the flow rate of the water supplied to the electrolytic cell, on the other hand, the water force (the flow rate) to remove the liquid waste and/or the solid waste adhered to the washing nozzle is unfortunately insufficient.
[Citation List]
[Patent Literature]
    [Patent Citation 1] JP 3487447    [Patent Citation 2] International Publication 95/32922 Pamphlet